United Kingdom: Closed consultation in the CMA investigation into the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI

On 3 January 2024, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) closed the consultation in the investigation into the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI. The investigation concerns the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI, whether this has resulted in a relevant merger situation, and what the possible effect on competition in the UK could be. The CMA acknowledges that competition between artificial intelligence (AI) developers must be sustained in order to support innovation, growth and responsible practices in the sector. Concretely, the CMA will investigate whether this partnership has led one company to acquire control over the other or otherwise change the nature of control. The CMA gathered information, as a first step, through the consultation of the parties and interested third parties on whether the partnership, as well as recent developments in the governance of OpenAI, has an impact on competition.